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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. charge — in control
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. file — a line of people
  9. charge — a price
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. squash — the sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com